Congress core group to meet over Telangana issue today

Sonia Gandhi, PM and senior cabinet members to attend meet

The Congress core group will meet here today to discuss the Telangana separate statehood issue.

Party General Secretary Digvijay Singh, who is in-charge for Andhra Pradesh, on Thursday said that the Centre has to consult UPA partners and Opposition parties as the decision could require amendments to the Constitution.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior Cabinet ministers and leaders form party's core group are expected to attend the meeting.

Congress MPs from Telangana have so far accused the Centre of following what they call a "one-step-forward-two-backward" approach when it comes to addressing their demand for a separate state.

The Centre's flip-flop over the issue began in December 2009 when the then Home Minister P Chidambaram promised the formation of a new state only to go back on it after a few days.

The issue was later pushed before a committee headed by Justice B N Srikrishna. This panel did not come up with a tangible solution, but instead presented six options.

These included the creation of a Telangana Regional Council within Andhra, bifurcation of the state into Telangana with Hyderabad as the capital and Seemandhra with a new capital; bifurcation of the state into Seemandhra and Telangana after making Hyderabad a Union Territory; bifurcation of the state into Seemandhra and Telangana with enlarged Hyderabad metropolis as a Union Territory; bifurcation of the state into Rayala Telangana and Coastal Andhra; and maintenance of status quo.